Is it necessary for a Christian to marry a non-Christian?
Question:
I am a member of the church of Christ, but I have a question. Is it acceptable for a boy or girl to have a girl or boyfriend? And is it necessary for a member of the church of Christ to marry someone who is not in the church of Christ?
Answer:
Much depends on what you mean by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Some see it as a boy or girl whom they are particularly interested in; that is, a boy or girl they are strong friends with. But others see this as permission to do things that are not proper. See: Why are boy-girl relationships not advisable at a young age?
When you are looking for a companion, you want to be able to share all your life with them and that would include your religion. There is no requirement that a person must or must not marry another of a particular religion, but it is sensible to realize that marrying someone who believes as you do will make your marriage go better. Christians ought to make it their first priority to find another Christian to marry. A secondary plan is to find someone who is willing to become a Christian and then marry him or her. But here the problem is whether they are just doing it to please you or because they really believe it to be true.
Response:
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
